Huge win for ‘Big Deal’ at MFC 28

Jimmo wins title, slick Fickett racks up victory at Supremacy

Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo seized the moment when it was there and secured the MFC world light-heavyweight title with a third-round TKO win over Dwayne “D-Bomb” Lewis in the main event of Maximum Fighting Championship’s MFC 28: Supremacy.
The event went down at a sold-out and raucous River Cree Resort and Casino, just outside Edmonton, Alberta, and aired live on HDNet Fights.


Jimmo (14-1) earned his 14^th consecutive win by finishing Lewis (13-7) at the 3:13 mark of Round 3 when referee Brian Beauchamp, after consulting with the ringside physician, waved off the bout. After a trip takedown and some heavy-handed ground-and-pound, Lewis’s face was severely damaged with a huge hematoma under his left eye and a likely broken orbital bone. It was a crushing setback for the Fort McMurray, Alberta, product who had an overwhelming army of supporters in attendance.
“It’s a dream come true to win the MFC title since this is the place where my career began,” said Jimmo, now lives and fights out of Edmonton, Alberta.
“I plan on keeping this belt over my shoulder for a long time.”



In the semi-main event, Drew “Night Rider” Fickett (41-13) made short work of late injury replacement Matt Veach. Fickett, who was supposed to challenge Antonio McKee for the MFC lightweight title until the champ sustained a knee injury and could not defend, needed only 36 seconds to secure an armbar submission of Veach (15-3).


Fickett, who fights out of Tucson, Arizona, left no doubt as to who is the rightful top contender in the MFC’s stacked 155-pound division.


“It doesn’t matter to me who has the belt. I’m coming for it and it will be mine. I’m making my home in the MFC,” said Fickett.


Lightweights Richie Whitson and Curtis Demarce put forth an early contender for Fight of the Year in a scintillating stand-up battle.


Demarce, who fights out of Brandon, Manitoba, nearly put Whitson away early on as he repeatedly tagged the Temecula, California, product, with an overhand right that bloodied Whitson. Demarce continued to connect in Round 2 and seemingly had Whitson in trouble, but the native Alaskan rallied and turned the tables on Demarce when he found his opponent’s chin with a devastating kick. After a back-and-forth final round, the bout went to the judges and Whitson escaped with a narrow victory via split decision. 
All three judges scored the bout 29-28 with Whitson (11-1) taking the nod on two cards. The gut-wrenching loss ended a seven-fight winning streak for Demarce (10-8).


Two other bouts were left in the judges’ hands as well. After charging through a dominant first round, Sheldon Westcott, who was fighting in front of his home-town fans, ran out of steam and allowed veteran Thomas “Wildman” Denny to gain the upper hand especially in Round 3. However, both fighters were left frustrated by the end result. While judges Brian Beauchamp and Vern Gorman each had one fighter getting a 29-28 nod, judge Bill Warwick saw it even at 28-28 and the fight was ruled a split draw.
“I’d rather have the win or the loss, but not a draw,” said a dejected Westcott (4-1-1). “We have to do this again and settle it.”


Denny (27-18-1), too, called for a rematch, though he hoped it might take place on neutral ground.
The other fight to go the distance saw Tyrone “T$” Glover (6-0) control much of his encounter with Robert “The Beast” Washington (9-2). Glover had several shots at a submission including a very tight triangle late in Round 2, but was unable to secure a finish. Still, the Wheat Ridge, Colorado, product took the decision, albeit in split voting (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
Former MFC light-heavyweight champ Emanuel “The Hardcore Kid” Newton did secure the submission when he got the opportunity, coaxing a tapout via rear-naked choke from Rodney Wallace at the 4:34 mark of Round 2. For Newton (14-6-1), who fights out of Long Beach, California, it was a triumphant return to the MFC as he tries to regain his footing in the 205-pound division, while Charlotte, North Carolina’s Wallace (10-4) was unable to build on his win from MFC 27.


Full Results:


Ryan Jimmo defeats Dwayne Lewis by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 3:13 of Round 3 and becomes the MFC World Light-Heavyweight Title
Drew Fickett submits Matt Veach by Armbar at 0:36 of Round 1
Richie Whitson defeats Curtis Demarce by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Thomas Denny and Sheldon Westcott fight to Draw
Emanuel Newton submits Rodney Wallace by Rear Naked Choke in Round 2, 4:34
Tyrone Glover defeats Robert Washington by Split Decision
Dan Ring submits Garret Nybakken by Rear Naked Choke in Round 2, 2:21
Brendan Kornberger defeated Paapa Inkumsah by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)


The Maximum Fighting Championship returns – and makes its debut in the Province of Ontario – on Friday, April 8 when S.L. Feldman’s & Associates presents MFC 29: Conquer live from The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor.

Westcott wired in for ‘Wildman’ at MFC 28

Prospect facing veteran in welterweight clash at Supremacy

A young gun on the rise will meet a grizzled veteran determined to protect his legacy in an exciting welterweight matchup signed by the Maximum Fighting Championship for MFC 28: Supremacy.
Promising hot prospect Sheldon Westcott (4-1) of Edmonton, Alberta, will take on eclectic warrior Thomas “Wildman” Denny (27-18), who now fights out of Centennial, Colorado, in a featured bout on the main card that will air live on HDNet Fights on Friday, Feb. 25.


Both fighters have already started a heated war of words via social media outlets. The rivalry began with Westcott, who just signed a multi-fight deal with the MFC, calling out Denny, a fighter with 11 years’ experience in mixed martial arts. With the agreement sealed, more verbal fireworks were set off.



“I’ve wanted this fight for three years,” explained Westcott. “His experience is absolutely not intimidating. In fact, it’s going to make me train even harder. I want to beat him faster than (Nick) Diaz did, faster than Georges St. Pierre did. I’m putting an extremely big emphasis on that.”


Denny didn’t hesitate for moment in shooting back.


“I think the kid’s bit off more than he can chew,” said Denny, who also inked a multi-fight contract with the MFC.


“I posted on his Facebook page that his dream to fight me has come true. But he should be careful what he wishes for. His dream just might end up being a nightmare.”


Denny has won five of his last eight fights, and has career totals of six knockouts and 16 submissions. The California native has been one of the sport’s most colorful ambassadors since the start of his career. Of late, Denny became recognized for a stint on the MTV reality series “Bully Beatdown,” but inside MMA circles he is well-regarded for the vast array of notable names on his fighting resume including clashes with Pat Miletich, Joe Stevenson, John Alessio, Duane Ludwig, and Yves Edwards.


The 39-year-old is eager to meet Westcott in his own home town, something he has frequently done against opposition throughout his career. This time, however, Denny has more than ample time to prepare unlike previous bouts that he’s taken on short notice.


“They all say they want to stand and bang with me but then they get hit twice in the face and they want to go to the ground,” noted Denny. “That’s fine too. I’m not too shabby with my wrestling and submissions so Westcott better be careful. I might just put him in his own game and submit him.”
The fight with Denny marks Westcott’s return to the MFC organization. He previously earned a first-round submission win over Jeff Kilisolsky at MFC 18, and added a first-round TKO victory over Kyle Millberry in the inaugural Heat XC event. Already sporting a solid ground game, the powerfully built Westcott went to the Netherlands to work on his stand-up skills alongside well-regarded striker Melvin Manhoef.
“This is easily the biggest fight of my career ... it’s only thing that matters right now,” said Westcott.


The main card for MFC 28: Supremacy now includes:

Light-heavyweight title - Dwayne Lewis vs. Ryan Jimmo


Lightweight – Kajan Johnson vs. Richie Whitson


Light-heavyweight – Razak Al-Hassan vs. Rodney Wallace


Welterweight – Thomas Denny vs. Sheldon Westcott

Two additional fights for the main card, plus a three-fight undercard, will be announced shortly. VIP, Row 1, and Row 2 tickets are now available by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024. Remaining tickets will be on sale soon via Ticketmaster.

MFC 28: Supremacy officially set

‘Hell Boy’ Whitson to face ‘Ragin’ Kajan in lightweight tilt

The Maximum Fighting Championship has officially announced its first show of 2011 – MFC 28: Supremacy, and has added a fast-paced lightweight bout to the card.


MFC 28: Supremacy will take place on Friday, February 25 at the River Cree Resort and Casino, just outside Edmonton, Alberta, and will air live on HDNet Fights throughout North America at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation). The upcoming card will be the MFC’s 15^th event held at The Venue at River Cree and the MFC’s 13^th to be broadcast by HDNet.
Already claiming main-event status for MFC 28: Supremacy is a showdown for the MFC light heavyweight title between Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo (13-1) and Dwayne “D-Bomb” Lewis (13-6).
Bolstering what will be a six-fight main card is a lightweight encounter that will pit highly touted newcomer Richie “Hell Boy” Whitson (10-1), who recently signed a four-fight contract to join the MFC, against popular fireball “Ragin” Kajan Johnson (18-11-1).



“I am immensely excited to have Richie Whitson come into the MFC, and I expect his fight with Kajan Johnson to be something incredible to watch,” stated MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich.
Whitson, who is originally from Sitka, Alaska, and now trains in Temecula, California, hopes his organizational debut will result in a perfect belated birthday present to himself. Whitson, a former reality show competitor, turns 25 just 14 days before the bout against Johnson. He has been a bit of a globetrotter throughout his career, with fights ranging in locales from Hawaii, Hollywood, and Mexico City to his most-recent bouts which were held in Sweden and Australia.


The five-foot-nine Team Quest product has rattled off four straight wins, both by KO/TKO, and has posted five first-round victories in his career – a testament to his finish-fast approach.
“I come out swinging. I like to be aggressive and put on a good show,” said Whitson, whose only career defeat came via a contentious split-decision.


“I like to try and break people. I’m always in shape so I can keep the pressure on and break guys. The fans are going to see what I can bring. I’m never in a boring fight.”
Whitson has targeted the MFC lightweight title in his immediate future, but first he’ll have to get past Johnson, who is coming off a thoroughly dominating decision win over Ryan Healy at MFC 27 back in November. Johnson, who hails from Burns Lake, B.C., and now splits his training between Las Vegas and Vancouver, is 3-2 under the MFC/Heat XC banners with his most-notable win coming by way of a second-round TKO over Josh Russell.

Ryan Jimmo to face Dwayne Lewis for MFC crown Matchup for LHW title set for main event at MFC 28

The Maximum Fighting Championship has signed an explosive and heavy-hitting title fight as the main event for its first card of 2011 – MFC 28: Supremacy.

In a rare All-Canadian matchup, Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo (13-1) and Dwayne “D-Bomb” Lewis (13-6) will square-off for the vacant MFC world light heavyweight title. Final details on the event’s location and date will be released shortly. The main card, which will be capped off with the title fight, will be shown live on HDNet Fights throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The showdown between Jimmo, ranked No. 1 in Canada and Top 30 worldwide, and Lewis, ranked No. 2 in Canada and Top 50 worldwide, follows in the path of the most-recent MFC title bout pitting Douglas Lima against Jesse Juarez. The Jimmo/Lewis clash is a title fight set between two of the MFC’s biggest names and two of its very own home-grown products. Jimmo has fought eight times under the MFC banner, while Lewis leads all competitors with 13 fights in the MFC ring.

“The fans want to see these two settle the issue of who is the best light heavyweight in the MFC, so this is it. It’s time to make it happen,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich.

“Both fighters deserve the opportunity. Ryan is on an incredible streak, and I made a promise to Dwayne that he would get his shot if he won his last two fights. Now it’s up to them to prove which one of them deserves to wear the championship belt.

“I know they respect each other immensely, but all that has to be pushed to the side now. The time for handshaking, and hugging, and pleasantries is over and done with. This is about which one of them truly wants it more. This is about a title, and in the MFC, you better be ready come fight night because your opponent sure will be.”

Jimmo, who is originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, but now lives in Edmonton, Alberta, is riding one of the most-impressive winning streaks in all of mixed martial arts. Since a loss in his professional debut, Jimmo has won 13 straight fights, including a three-round decision over Lewis at MFC Unplugged 3 in April 2007.

During that winning streak, Jimmo has compiled five wins by knockout and two via submission, with notable victories coming against Jesse Forbes, Marvin Eastman, and former MFC light heavyweight champ Emanuel Newton. Jimmo last took to the MFC ring at MFC 25 in May 2010, and delivered the best performance of his career has he handed Wilson Gouveia a dramatically one-sided defeat.

Lewis, one of the MFC’s most-popular fighters, is on a tremendous run of his own, having won nine of his last 10 fights. The Fort McMurray, Alberta, product is coming off back-to-back victories over Razak Al-Hassan (split decision at MFC 27) and Mike Nickels (TKO at MFC 26).

While ascending to the top of the contenders’ list, Lewis raised his career knockout total to eight with stoppages of Ryan McClain (second-round TKO at MFC 24) and Marvin Eastman (first-round KO at MFC 23). His only defeat during that run was a decision loss to Newton at MFC 25.

Ticket information for MFC 28: Supremacy will be detailed in the very near future. VIP, Row 1 and Row 2 tickets are available now by calling the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.


History of the MFC light heavyweight belt:



Victor Valimaki def. Jason Day – tapout via rear-naked choke, 2:15 Round 1, MFC 10



Roger Hollett def. Victor Valimaki – tapout via strikes, 2:06 Round 1, MFC 13



Emanuel Newton def. Roger Hollett – unanimous decision, 5:00 Round 5, MFC 19



Trevor Prangley def. Emanuel Newton – unanimous decision, 5:00 Round 5, MFC 21